Chapter 159: Chapter 159

After joining Hakan, Shan followed his guidance up the mountain and reunited with the other rescue party members.

They were horrified by Shan’s blood-soaked appearance, but felt relieved upon learning it was all the blood of his pursuers.

And Shan, too, was relieved by the fact that no one had died despite the arduous journey.

While searching for them, he had heard that they had been pursued for several days, so he had secretly expected at least a few to have died.

As they exchanged greetings, Shan’s gaze turned to Princess Cassia, who was being carried on Aran’s back.

‘This is severe…’

A few years ago, the Cassia he had seen at the expedition banquet was an impressive beauty with curly platinum-blonde hair, lake-blue eyes, and a lovely smile.

Although Shan thought Cheryn was prettier, most of those present praised Cassia as the noblest and most beautiful woman in Pendia.

However, the woman once called the Jewel of Pendia was nowhere to be seen here now.

Her once-sparkling eyes stared blankly into space without focus, and her hair, half-hidden by a hood, was growing back after being shaved close like a man’s, with visible scars scratched by a blade.

Her emaciated, wrinkled face looked as if she had aged several times faster than others.

“Princess.”

The moment Shan called out to her and stepped closer, Cassia’s face distorted, and she suddenly buried her face deep into Aran’s back.

Murmurs such as ‘No,’ ‘Don’t come near me,’ and ‘I hate it’ could be heard mumbling beneath her.

Looking at Shan, who had stopped in fluster, Priest Lysac spoke in a bitter tone.

“Um, Lord Protector. It would be best not to provoke the Princess if possible.”

“What happened?”

“Let us move to a safer place first before I tell you. This is hardly a suitable location.”

Indeed, this place reeked heavily of blood and stench, making it a terrible spot to chat.

Besides, everyone was also extremely exhausted.

Shortly after, the rescue party found a vacant clearing far away from the site of the battle and collapsed onto the ground.

The rescue party members rejoiced at being able to replenish their nutrition for the first time in a while by boiling the dried meat Shan had brought into porridge after soaking it in water.

Shan glanced at Aran taking care of Cassia in a corner, then asked those beside him.

“Tell me now.”

“It seems the Princess is not entirely of sound mind.”

Colun spoke in a cautious tone.

When she was found in the prison, traces of severe abuse remained all over Cassia’s body.

Unable to even recognize the people who came to rescue her, she could utter nothing but words like ‘I was wrong,’ ‘It hurts,’ and ‘Stop.’

Fortunately, thanks to continuous care after her rescue, she had improved slightly, but she could still only speak a few words like a child, and whenever a man approached or tried to touch her, she would scream convulsively or writhe in agony like she had done just moments ago.

If not for Aran, taking care of her on the way here would have been far more difficult.

“Mmm.”

He had known Prince Meleo possessed a sadistic disposition, but he had never imagined Meleo would break a person so completely in such a short time.

It was difficult to even imagine what had transpired.

Shan thought as he watched Cassia accepting food like a baby bird:

If Cheryn saw that sight, she would truly be overcome with grief and pain.

“Does Her Majesty the Queen know as well?”

“She wished to speak with her, so I informed her that it would likely be difficult.”

Then Cheryn, too, was probably prepared for it to some extent.

Shan mentioned that he wanted to use the communication device to report his return, but Colun shook his head and said.

“Regrettably, while on the run, all the paper, ink, and quills we carried were ruined.”

“Ah.”

“Do you happen to have any with you, Lord Protector…?”

As Shan did not particularly carry such items either, there was no way to communicate.

Still, since he had reported being fine the last time he made contact, he said it would not be urgent for the moment.

Shan let out a soft sigh and plunked himself down.

“I’ll have to drag that fellow out of the Ajun royal palace later and make him pay for causing all this suffering.”

Though he had already dealt them a heavy blow, seeing Cassia’s state made him feel that even that had not been enough.

Even so, he was fairly exhausted himself to go back down and wreak havoc once more.

It was not merely a matter of stamina; staying alone in enemy territory imposed a considerable mental burden in itself.

“More importantly, how have you been doing, Lord Protector? We haven’t heard any news while hiding from our pursuers.”

At Abras’s question, Shan explained what had happened after they parted ways.

At the story of burning down the entire royal palace of Ajun, killing over a hundred knights and guards, and wandering the western region alone while attacking armies repeatedly to draw their attention, everyone showed excited expressions.

“Indeed! That is truly equivalent to a single knight taking on an entire nation.”

“They say that with the advancement of technology, an individual’s valor has become meaningless before a group, but that doesn’t seem to apply to you, Lord Protector.”

In the distant past, an era when even the Holy Accord did not exist, a single superhuman was considered superior to a crowd.

This was because soldiers armed with bronze or crude pig-iron weapons due to the lack of proper forging techniques could not overcome a single knight clad in Altoan relics who wielded Fighting Spirit at will with the Blessing of Vitality, no matter how many gathered in swarms.

However, as warriors armed with quality steel weapons multiplied and the Holy Accord was enacted, what a single knight could accomplish on the battlefield gradually dwindled.

Shan’s exploits reminded them of the deeds of those very ancient heroes.

Hakan asked with a curious expression.

“By the way, what happened to the Horais warhorses you were riding…?”

At his question, Shan shook his head lightly.

Disposing of the beasts that had followed him so well was truly regrettable, but he could not cross the Blade Mountains with them, so he had no choice.

Leaving them behind anywhere would only make their original owners happy.

While everyone nodded at his words, Mage Bezel spoke as if lamenting.

“Indeed. Sometimes unavoidable sacrifices must be made. Just like when we came…”

When he stopped talking mid-sentence as if realizing his mistake, the atmosphere sank in an instant.

Shan glanced around, wondering for a moment what had happened, when Hakan spoke impassively.

“In truth, an untoward incident occurred on the way here.”

He honestly revealed what had happened during their journey south.

He confessed that they had killed the children of the village that had first accepted them as guests after being discovered by them.

Of course, the custom of hospitality ended once their stay was concluded, so they had not violated it; nonetheless, infanticide ran contrary to a knight’s pride.

“Regrettably, those children had already seen Lady Cassia being carried on someone’s back. Had I known we would be exposed anyway, I would have let them go.”

As Hakan let out a deep sigh while saying so, everyone stole glanced at Shan.

Listening in quiet silence, Shan nodded.

“I see.”

When Shan merely responded with that and did not press the matter further, everyone showed slightly surprised expressions.

Since Shan usually possessed a lenient nature toward the weak, they had thought he would reprimand Hakan for killing them.

However, Shan was a man who could become as cruel as necessary if he deemed it required.

In the past, when he needed to treat Callion, had he not threatened a priest using the lives of innocent villagers?

In the first place, a person could not always make the right choice.

One simply had to take responsibility for whatever choice was made.

After a long silence, Shan spoke quietly.

“Though various things happened, it was fortunate that everything was resolved well. Shall we head back to Pendia now?”

When he pointed toward the high Blade Mountains while saying so, everyone groaned at the thought of having to climb up there once again.

*

The return journey over the Blade Mountains was even more arduous than when going there.

This was partly because everyone’s physical condition was horribly poor, and although there were no monsters, the army of the Ajun Kingdom kept prowling behind them.

Perhaps because it had become known that Shan had arrived, those bastards pursued them relentlessly, penetrating deep into the mountains.

Even as those unaccustomed to mountain climbing collapsed from exhaustion or accidentally tumbled down cliffs, the nobles and knights constantly urged them upward.

However, numerical superiority meant virtually nothing in rugged mountains and dense forests, unlike on open plains.

Receiving the Blessing of Vitality from Lysac, Shan repeatedly defeated the attacking enemies and protected the party from behind.

In the end, the Ajun Kingdom gave up their pursuit and retreated only after seeing about thirty soldiers climbing the cliff with difficulty get wiped out by falling rocks cascading from above.

And another problem that arose while ascending was none other than Cassia.

Up until now, Aran had somehow carried her on her back, but climbing while carrying Cassia was utterly impossible with her stamina.

“Ugh-!”

The moment Aran, who was climbing up a rope, lost her strength and was about to fall, Shan, who was above, grabbed the rope tied around her body and prevented her fall.

Pulled up by joining forces with the others, Aran panted heavily before offering her thanks.

“T-Thank you, Lord Protector.”

“It seems best if I carry the Princess, as we discussed before.”

“But…”

The problem was that Cassia would go into convulsions at the mere physical touch of him.

On the ground, it might be manageable, but if she did that while climbing a cliff, it would not end as a simple accident.

Ultimately, Shan took the drastic measure of tying Cassia up tightly and carrying her on his back.

Putting to shame all the previous coaxing and soothing methods that had proved useless, the bound Cassia trembled violently but did not resist.

“L-Lord Protector. Even so, she is a princess, so that…”

“It can’t be helped. We can’t leave her behind here, after all.”

Since it was not wrong, Abras, who had been speaking with an uncomfortable expression, also conceded.

Fortunately, thanks to wrapping the cloak with temperature control function he originally wore around her body, Cassia managed to withstand the cold despite her weakened condition.

Of course, in return, Shan had to suffer from the cold far more than when he had crossed over before.

Still, after somehow crossing the summit, the process of descending was fairly smooth.

Perhaps because they descended following the exact same path they had taken up last time, the monsters seemed to remember the rescue party and let out edgy roared without daring to approach easily.

Weak creatures that lacked even the intelligence to remember them were slain by the others without Shan needing to step in.

On the way down, he did not forget to dig up and secure the minotaur’s remains as well.

Although the weather was gradually warming up, the cold persisted in the high altitudes, so the remains were well preserved without spoiling despite being buried for several weeks.

Finally descending below the Blade Mountains, the rescue party, looking utterly like beggars, headed for the nearest territory.

“Greetings, Lord Protector!”

Just by showing the transformation of A Thousand Shapes, Shan was able to prove his identity.

The representative of the small territory originally ruled by a baron prepared the finest clothes for the rescue party to wash and change into, a feast to satisfy their hunger, and the best rooms available.

Before taking a rest, Shan used paper and a quill obtained here to inform Cheryn that the mission had been completed.

[That is a relief. I was worried something had happened since there was no word.]

Though it felt nonchalant in writing, she had undoubtedly been quite anxious inside.

Even if Shan was safe, those fleeing with Cassia meeting a bad end would also have been painful for Cheryn.

As if she had already guessed, Cheryn did not ask in detail about Cassia’s condition.

Instead, she also focused on Shan’s exploits.

[The news that you killed the king has already spread far and wide. The Ajun bastards are foaming at the mouth, asking if you are an assassin rather than a knight.]

“Actually, it was closer to killing him by accident, though.”

Thanks to interrogating a few Ajun soldiers, Shan also roughly knew how the king had died.

Who would have thought that while setting fires and causing rampages here and there, he had unintentionally collapsed the secret passage and burned him to death?

He truly thought the man was remarkably unlucky.

No, perhaps his past evil deeds had returned to him in such a manner.

Though it was Meleo who had directly abused Cassia, her father, the king, was equally guilty of standing by.

Instead of returning to the capital right away, the rescue party stayed there for about three more days.

Because everyone was mentally and physically weakened from enduring such a harsh schedule, they needed to recuperate to some extent before setting off on their journey again.

Fortunately, Cassia’s condition also improved a bit more while staying there.

It seemed that the buildings and scenery of Pendia, which were relatively familiar to her eyes rather than the landscape of Ajun filled with nothing but terrible memories, had healed the wounds of her heart.

The territory’s representative appeared curious about who the person treasured by high-ranking figures was, but at a single warning from Shan not to pry needlessly, he kept a strict distance.

Thanks to Aran taking care of her directly, the local people could not even interact properly with Cassia.

Of course, before long, the story of their rescuing Princess Cassia would become widely known, but there was no need for the fact that her mind had collapsed due to abuse in Ajun to be revealed.

Having recovered to some extent, the rescue party rented carriages and horses and moved toward the capital.

By the time they returned to the capital at a relaxed pace, occasionally slaying a few attacking monsters along the way, the weather had fully warmed up and spring was in full bloom.

Entering through the city gates, the rescue party looked around and said.

“Hasra has changed again in the short time we were away.”

“Indeed. Looking at it, it seems they have separated the roads into zones for carriages and horses and zones for pedestrians.”

There had been talk of doing so for a while, but it seemed to have been implemented in earnest while they were away.

Since everything, including transport, had to be handled secretly, they moved without drawing people’s attention, bringing Cassia in a carriage all the way to the front of the royal palace.

Amid curious glanced wondering who she was to be bundled up so tightly, the robed Cassia finally stepped inside the royal palace with Aran supporting her.

Looking around her surroundings, she groaned softly.

“Ah…”

To Cassia, the royal palace was a place more familiar and happier than anything else.

A place where four family members lived harmoniously: her father, a great king who paid little attention to her; her stern eldest brother; her mischievous younger brother; and her slightly twisted yet gentle younger sister.

There, Cassia was born a princess and learned how to live.

Marrying a handsome prince or a duke, supporting him, bearing children to continue the bloodline, and being loved… the ideal life of a noblewoman.

Even when her engagement with the prince fell through due to an unfortunate accident, or when her family fractured and fought among themselves after her father collapsed, she had never doubted such a future, despite her heartbreak.

After all, she was a beautiful and obedient lady, so she believed she could be loved no matter who her partner was.

She had thought so even when departing for the royal palace of Ajun according to her eldest brother’s wishes.

Thinking that if she persuaded Ajun’s prince and crowned Conrad as king, she could also restore Elvin and Cheryn back to how they were.

And so they could return to being a harmonious family as before.

As she reminisced about the past like that, her broken soul gradually regained its original shape.

Even though, compared to before, it was a messy state torn and stitched together in places.

The door to her heart, which had been closed because she could not bear to face the pain, finally opened slightly the moment she met Cheryn coming out from inside the Red Palace.

“Sister.”

“Che… ryn…”

The moment she saw her younger sister’s face and heard her voice for the first time in several years, Cassia buried her face in Cheryn’s embrace and cried out in desperate agony.

At her wailing, which was closer to that of a beast than a human, Cheryn also shed tears as she embraced Cassia’s head.

Buried in Cheryn’s embrace, Cassia cursed everything.

Her older brother Conrad who sent her to Ajun, her former husband Meleo who abused her, the royal family and nobles of Ajun who practically turned a blind eye to it, and even Cheryn who had not saved her sooner.

It had been so painful, and she had endured in hopes that someone, anyone, would please help her.

Even while knowing it was an unreasonable resentment, she could not help but pour it all out.

Cheryn closed both eyes tightly and stroked her sister’s back to soothe her.

Meanwhile, no one present dared to look at them, turning their gazes away instead.